Radio Kitchen

As our collective holiday season reaches its climax, it's a great time to consider a few of the traditions that make it so enjoyable. In our Jewish community, this is the time of year when a tasty annual practice comes to the fore: the baking of Jewish holiday cookies. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino can attest, our Jewish friends have some nice things in store.

If you asked me to name the fanciest entrée I could think of, I would probably say, Beef Wellington. This delicious concoction of beef tenderloin wrapped in pastry with other savory additions is a time-proven showstopper. Chef Jerry Pellegrino has told me, making a Beef Wellington is a project, but no single step is particularly difficult.

Try as we might to be creative with our dinner menus over the holidays, there’s no escaping the fact that potatoes are going to appear in one form or another on our tables. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, there are probably a million good ideas out there for how to cook a potato.

From time to time (mainly a few weeks before the holidays) I try to lose a little weight in anticipation of the good times to come. One snack that I rely on to get me through my peckish moments is beef jerky. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino can confirm, we’re lucky that a lot of our local beef farmers are making it now, so it’s easy to find.

The age-old quandary: what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers. Fortunately there are lots of things you can try, and it doesn’t necessarily mean repeating the dinner dish by dish. So along with Chef Jerry Pellegrino, let’s break down some of the elements we can work with.

It can happen that some of us get a little tired of having roast turkey every single Thanksgiving, as good as it can be. We’ve got a couple weeks to think about it, so I might suggest an entirely different idea. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, who is always open to new ideas for Thanksgiving, has some thoughts about a good old Standing Rib Roast.

‘Tis the season to get cooking and a lot of us will be doing just that in the coming weeks. Over the course of a single generation our approach to stovetop cooking has changed dramatically. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino, it’s hard to overlook the impact of non-stick cookware.

Even though we’re entering a season when we are prone to eating heavier foods, there is always room for a salad. That little bit of green on the plate looks very inviting many times. To enjoy a good salad you need to have a good salad dressing, and Chef Jerry Pellegrino believes, this is where it becomes handy to know how to make a good vinaigrette.

The Ravens sketchy start to the season notwithstanding, I’m really glad football is back in town. One of the best parts of our football traditions is the Tailgate Party and all the tasty things we get to gobble down. And Chef JP well knows, high on the list of Tailgate standouts are sausages fired up on the grill.

Ahhh. Feel that chill in the air? Remember how blazing hot it was just a few weeks ago? Autumn is here and we’re all feeling refreshed and invigorated and ready for a change of pace. I recommend that perhaps you should go rummaging through the basement and dig out that relic from long ago, the fondue pot, because the time has come for a little bubbling cheese and a cold glass of wine.

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If we’re talking “entry level” proteins, it’s hard to get more basic than ground beef. It’s one of those products that exists as an after-thought; it’s what you get after all the other good stuff has been cut up and packaged. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, ground beef is still a worthy subject for discussion because it is so versatile.

One of my favorite meat dishes is pork chops, often with sauerkraut and sautéed apples. Now as much as I love them, pork chops can be a bit tricky because of all the meats I know, they’re one of the easiest to dry out.

Of all the vegetables out there, few are as essential as the good old carrot. Simple, basic and indispensable, the carrot is often an unsung hero in thousands of recipes. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, carrots may be Bugs Bunny’s favorite snack, but they’re incredibly useful for the rest of us.

We like to visit various ethnic restaurants quite often and usually my favorite part of the meal is the flat bread with some kind of vegetable spread to smear on it. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino noted, we here in Maryland are perfectly set up to make our own spreads at home.

I’m willing to bet that a lot of us had a Mom or Grandmom, or special aunt who liked nothing more than pulling out that big old cast iron skillet and whipping up something totally amazing. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will confess he has had a chance to tuck into more than a few summer desserts that were cooked up in those skillets. Jerry offers these thoughts.

Going up and down the aisles at the market these days is a tad overwhelming. For instance, look at all the cucumbers. There’s a million of them available and probably not enough salads in our future to make good use of them. So Chef Jerry Pellegrino has an idea, one of his favorite techniques comes in: making pickles!

I’m in heaven these days because we are swimming in fresh picked corn. I tend to really load up on corn on the cob during those summer months when we can get it. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, corn on the cob is just the start… there’s so much more you can do with fresh Maryland corn. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino offers a primer on using summer corn.

I’m in heaven these days because we are swimming in fresh picked corn. I tend to really load up on corn on the cob during those summer months when we can get it. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, corn on the cob is just the start… there’s so much more you can do with fresh Maryland corn. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino offers a primer on using summer corn.

I’d like to make the argument that polenta is one of the easiest and most versatile of our side dishes… provided you know a few simple tips. This simple dish made from coarsely ground corn meal and water is a springboard to other things. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows, the first thing to learn is how to keep polenta from getting lumpy.

When it comes to summertime grilling there are a lot of choices out there. Steaks, burgers, chicken, fish and veggies all come to mind, but there’s one protein that deserves a spot on the grill, and that’s sausages. And Chef Pellegrino will tell you, when it comes to sausages, we’re not hurtin’ for choices.

When it comes to summertime grilling there are a lot of choices out there. Steaks, burgers, chicken, fish and veggies all come to mind, but there’s one protein that deserves a spot on the grill, and that’s sausages. And Chef Pellegrino will tell you, when it comes to sausages, we’re not hurtin’ for choices.

Shopping at the markets these days is pure joy. The produce is rolling in and we are spoiled for choices. One of the most eye-catching veggies out there are the summer squash, the zucchinis, the pattypan’s and all. Chef Jerry Pellegrino would encourage you to be taking advantage of them.

Summertime is great for fruit, and since I try to have fruit every morning for breakfast, I’m always scouting for the best available. Which often brings me to berries, especially blue, black and razz. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino tells me there’s a lot I’m missing.

Anyone with a backyard garden who has tried growing herbs is familiar with the love-hate relationship we have with mint. That tasty, useful little plant is so easy to appreciate… until is spreads like topsy and tries to take over your garden. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, we are blessed to have access to such a prodigious herb.